Mine firing device



` n.. 7, 3.947, 1. B. GLENNON ET AL, 2,433,705

MINE FIRING- DEVICE Filed Dec. 12, 1932 fat/27mg Patented Jan. 7, i947 MINEFIRING DEVICE James B..Gl.ennon,.Unted States Navy,Vv and Robert C.,Dnncan, Chevy Chase, .Md.

Application' December 12, 1932, Serial -No.'646;934

(Granted under the act ofMarch f3, '1883, vas

4amended April 30, 1928;3701). G. 75.7)

7 Claims.

'.lThisj invention relates toailoating supportjfor mechanism to initiate the operation of the 4iiring mechanism of a submarine mine and has for its objectto .provide a simple yet reliable and `effective means for closing the circuit through a sea battery for firing a mine.

With the aboveand other objects in view, this invention consists in .the construction, combinationandarrangement of parts .aswill bedescribed more `fully hereinafter.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation. on a oat embodying our invention;

.-2-.isA a .diagrammatic view of the'iioat and its connections to the mine;

Fig.,3 is -a detail of connection of .fthe cable to the float;

Fig. 4 is a detail of a contact horn and the cup associated therewith.

Varioustypes of.mine firing mechanisms have been designed the operation of which depends upon the fact that sea water itself can be used as the electrolyte of an electric battery. They are operated by bringing two dissimilar metals into contact with each other while immersed in sea Water, such a device being generally called a sea battery. This is usually done by having a wire of one metal, generally copper, held above the mine case by means of a oat and depending upon the hull of a ship, which would ordinarily be of iron, making contact with this wire. However, oftentimes the hull of the ship is rusty or coated with barnacles and the force which the ship exerts upon the wire is so small that metalto-metal contact is not established sufficiently to complete the sea battery. Another possibility is that the ship may be of wood, in which case contact with the copper wire would have no effect on the ring mechanism. The present invention obviates these diculties.

The float 5 is of iron or galvanized iron and carries a plurality of iron horns 6 with a reduced portion 'I to permit the horn to be bent laterally by a moderate force. Upon each horn is an iron disk 8 with its edge beveled as indicated at '9 and serrated to form points Ill. Disposed around each disk 8 is a copper cup II separated from the metal of the float by insulating material I2. To each cup II is connected one end of an insulated conductor I3 whereof the other end is connected to an eyebolt I4 secured to the float and insulated therefrom by suitable material I5. An antenna cable I6, preferably of copper, connects eyebolt I4 to the firing mechanism I 'I of the mine I8. It is obvious that the cable I6 and eyebolt Illmust be of the same metal, .otherwise they would actas .a sea battery ,and explode the mine.

When a horn .6.is bent, as indicated att' and .8', by contact with avessel, the points Ill of disk 8 are easily forced into the copper of the cup II, thus establishing a. good metal-to-rnetal contact between the copper and the iron of the disk, which, since the sea water acts. as an electrolyte, causes a current to flow through the water from the iloat to the copper plate I9 on the mine as indicatedbythe arrow and dottedline in Fig.V 2. Thecurrent isconducted from plate I9 .to the ring mechanism Il where it acts to-close the switch ofthe iring circuit and thence upwardly throughcable -Iand conductors I3 tothe cups II, thus completing thev circuit.

Inour device the float itself forms one electrode of 'thegseaf battery, the other being the -copperplate,I.9,-:and thev mine will be fired lregardless of the kind of material that strikes the horn. This makes it possible for the mine designer to choose the metals of which the sea battery electrodes are formed, since they are independent of the ships hull. For example, if the iloat is galvanized, the effective metals will be zinc and copper instead of iron and copper. Other metals may be used, but it is obviously advantageous to choose two that are considerably separated from each other in the electromotive series.

It will be understood that the above description and accompanying drawing comprehend only the general and preferred embodiment of our invention, and that various changes in the construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be made within the scope of the appended claims without sacricing any of the advantages of this invention- The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

We claim:

1. In combination with a submarine mine body, a device for firing submarine mines, comprising a metal float, a plurality 0f readily bendable metal horns thereon, a disk having a serrated edge carried by each horn, a metal cup disposed around leach disk and mounted on said oat but electrically insulated therefrom, the metal of said cups having a position in the electromotive series of metals different from that of the metal of said oat, a plate of the same metal as that of said cups secured to said mine body, ring mechanism 3 in said body, conducting means connecting said plate and said firing mechanism, and conducting means connecting said cups and said firing mechanism.

2. In combination With a submarine mine body, a device for firing submarine mines comprising a metal oat, a readily bendable horn thereon, a disk having a serrated edge carried by said horn, a metal cup disposed around said disk and mounted on sai-d float but electrically insulated therefrom, the metal of said cup having a position in the electromotive series of metals different from that of the metal of said float, a plate of the same metal as that of said cup secured to said mine body, a firing mechanism in said body, conducting means connecting said plate and said firing mechanism, and conducting means connecting said cup and said ring mechanism.

3; A device for firing submarine mines, comprising a buoyant member formed of metal, readilybendable metal horns thereon, a disk having a serrated edge carried by each horn, a cup formed of a metal different fro-m that of said member disposed around each of said disks, a plate of the same metal as that of said cup spaced from said member, a firing mechanism, means electrically connecting said plate and said mechanism, and means electrically connecting said mechanism and said cups.

4. A device for iiring submarine mines, comprising a buoyant member formed of metal, elements formed of a different metal carried by said member but electrically insulated therefrom, a plate of the same metal as said elements spaced from said member, a ring mechanism, means electrically connecting said mechanism and said plate, means electrically connecting said mechanisrn and said elements, and metal elements mounted on said buoyant member in electrical connection therewith adapted to be displaced by contact with a moving,r object to form a metal- 4 to-metal contact with the iirst mentioned elements.

5. A device for firing submarine mines, comprising a buoyant member formed of metal, metal elements carried thereby but electrically insulated therefrom, a plate of .metal diiferent from that of said member spaced from said member, a ring mechanism, means electrically connecting said mechanism and said plate, means electrically connecting said mechanism and said elements, and means on said member in electrical connection therewith displaceable by contact with a moving object to form an electrically conducting contact with said elements.

6. A device for iiring submarine mines, comprising a buoyant member formed of metal, a plate of a different metal spaced therefrom, a firing mechanism, means electrically connecting said plate with said mechanism, electrically conducting means connected to said mechanism and extending to said member, metal elements carried by said member but insulated therefrom and connected to said electrically conducting means, and displaceable metallic means on said member in electrical connection therewith adapted to penetrate said elements.

7. A device for ring submarine mines, comprising a buoyant member formed of metal, a plate of a different metal spaced therefrom, a firing mechanism, means electrically connecting said plate with said mechanism, electrically conducting means connected to said mechanism and extending to said member, metal elements carried by said member but insulated therefrom and connected to said electrically conducting means, and displaceable metallic means on said member in electrical connection therewith adapted to.

make electrical connection with said elements.

JAMES B. GLENNON. ROBERT C. DUNCAN. 

